He is the head of one of the biggest police forces in the UK and usually regarded for his serious views on law enforcement.

But Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy has shown a more light-hearted side after he sportingly wore a bright red hat, yellow flowery summer maxi dress and sunglasses to model a ladies outfit at a charity bash in the city.

The six-foot married father-of-four, 55, stunned fellow senior officers by strutting down a catwalk and putting on his best pout at a fashion show to raise money for The Christie cancer hospital.

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Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy (left, in drag, and, right, as he usually looks) stunned fellow senior officers by strutting down a catwalk and putting on his best pout at a fashion show to raise money for The Christie cancer hospital

A picture of Sir Peter in women’s clothing with his arm around a female colleague was tweeted by Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan who joked: 'Just stumbled across this couple backstage! The one in the hat looks strangely familiar!'

The event was organised by the Senior Women in Policing group whose female members include women police officers of the rank superintendent and above.

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Drinks were served to senior women police officers by topless male waiters at the New Century House office building.

In a statement today, Sir Peter said: 'I know it is not usual for me to wear a dress but this was for a charity very dear to my heart, the Christie hospital.

In a statement today, Sir Peter (far left) said: 'I know it is not usual for me to wear a dress but this was for a charity very dear to my heart, the Christie hospital'

Sir Peter said today: 'We are losing so many good people month by month across Greater Manchester but the Christie and other cancer charities are doing so much good work to try and turn the tide'

Last year Sir Peter showed his sense of humour after he agreed to be filmed doing the Gangnam-style for a charity video

'Just over the last month or so we
have lost two colleagues in GMP to cancer and we have a number of other
staff members currently bravely battling the disease, some with a
terminal prognosis.

THE CAREER OF SIR PETER FAHY

Sir Peter joined the police in 1981, and is currently the Association of Chief Police Officers spokesman on workforce development.

He was Assistant Chief Constable at Surrey, and had positions with Hertfordshire and West Midlands forces before joining Cheshire Constabulary as Chief Constable in 2002.

There he called for the legal age limit for buying alcohol to be raised to 21 following the death of father of four Garry Newlove, 48, at the hands of drunken yobs in 2007.

Sir Peter took up his post at GMP on September 1, 2008, following the death of Michael Todd who was found dead in Snowdonia. He has been critical of red tape which has been creeping into police forces across the United Kingdom.

He was knighted in 2012.

'I am angry at the toll it is taking and the letters I am having to write to bereaved families.

'We are losing so many good people month by month across Greater Manchester but the Christie and other cancer charities are doing so much good work to try and turn the tide.'

Greater Manchester Police said: 'Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy modelled a range of outfits including a flowery summer dress for a charity fashion show organised by GMP’s Women in Policing Group on Saturday 7 June.

'He also wore a more conventional flying jacket and T-shirt.'

Sir Peter has received support from police officers across the country after taking part in the charity fashion show.

The Northumbria Police Federation tweeted: '#Amazing work as chief constable Sir Peter Fahy squeezes into a dress for a great cause'.

The force said later this month a group of GMP staff will be cycling to London to raise money for The Christie and the force is planning a number of other fundraising events. The event has so far raised £3,500 for The Christie.

Last year Sir Peter showed his sense of humour after he agreed to be filmed doing the Gangnam-style for a charity video.

He agreed to put on a pair of sunglasses and dance like Korean singer Psy in front of a police station to help raise money for a young boy diagnosed with a brain tumour.